news

Self-Hypnosis as anaesthetic for complex hand operation.

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 17:26:04 +0100

A HYPNOTIST put himself in a trance to endure a complex hand operation – without anaesthetic.

Alex Lenkei, 61, heard the surgeon SAWING and HAMMERING a chisel into a walnut-sized growth, then moving a tendon on his arthritis-hit hand.

The hypnotist, who has practised 16 years, said: It took me 30 seconds to put myself under and I wasn't aware of my body apart from my arm.

"I could feel manipulating then bones cracking."

Alex, of Worthing, West Sussex, added: "I'd have said if I was in pain. I told them to zap me immediately if I cried out."

Amazed surgeon David Llewellyn-Clark said Alex's pulse and breathing remained constant throughout the 83-minute op at Worthing Hospital.

Sun doctor Carol Cooper said: "Orthopaedic surgery is notoriously painful and the hand is very sensitive. It's extremely rare to hear of ops like this. Alex clearly has talent."

Marijuana use linked to increased risk of testicular cancer

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 23:37:45 +0100

Risk appears to be elevated particularly among frequent and/or long-term users

SEATTLE — February 9 — Frequent and/or long-term marijuana use may significantly increase a man's risk of developing the most aggressive type of testicular cancer, according to a study by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. The study results were published online Feb. 9 in the journal Cancer.

The researchers found that being a marijuana smoker at the time of diagnosis was associated with a 70 percent increased risk of testicular cancer. The risk was particularly elevated (about twice that of those who never smoked marijuana) for those who used marijuana at least weekly and/or who had long-term exposure to the substance beginning in adolescence.

The results also suggested that the association with marijuana use might be limited to nonseminoma, a fast-growing testicular malignancy that tends to strike early, between ages 20 and 35, and accounts for about 40 percent of all testicular-cancer cases.

Since the 1950s, the incidence of the two main cellular subtypes of testicular cancer, nonseminoma and seminoma - the more common, slower growing kind that strikes men in their 30s and 40s - has increased by 3 percent to 6 percent per year in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. During the same time period, marijuana use in North America, Europe and Australia has risen accordingly, which is one of several factors that led the researchers to hypothesize a potential association.

"Our study is not the first to suggest that some aspect of a man's lifestyle or environment is a risk factor for testicular cancer, but it is the first that has looked at marijuana use," said author Stephen M. Schwartz, M.P.H., Ph.D., an epidemiologist and member of the Public Health Sciences Division at the Hutchinson Center.

Established risk factors for testicular cancer include a family history of the disease, undescended testes and abnormal testicular development. The disease is thought to begin in the womb, when some fetal germ cells (those that eventually make sperm in adulthood) fail to develop properly and become vulnerable to malignancy. Later, during adolescence and adulthood, it is thought that exposure to male sex hormones coaxes these cells to become cancerous.

"Just as the changing hormonal environment of adolescence and adulthood can trigger undifferentiated fetal germ cells to become cancerous, it has been suggested that puberty is a 'window of opportunity' during which lifestyle or environmental factors also can increase the risk of testicular cancer," said senior author Janet R. Daling, Ph.D., an epidemiologist who is also a member of the Center's Public Health Sciences Division. "This is consistent with the study's findings that the elevated risk of nonseminoma-type testicular cancer in particular was associated with marijuana use prior to age 18."

Chronic marijuana exposure has multiple adverse effects on the endocrine and reproductive systems, primarily decreased sperm quality. Other possible effects include decreased testosterone and male impotency. Because male infertility and poor semen quality also have been linked to an increased risk of testicular cancer, this further reinforced the researchers' hypothesis that marijuana use may be a risk factor for the disease.

Daling first got the idea to explore a possible association between marijuana use and testicular cancer about eight years ago, when she attended a talk by a physician at the University of Washington who presented findings that only two organs, the brain and the testes, had receptors for tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the main psychoactive component of marijuana. Since then, a number of other sites have been found to contain THC receptors, including the heart, uterus, spleen and immune-system cells.

The male reproductive system also naturally produces a cannabinoid-like chemical that is thought to have a protective effect against cancer. The authors speculate that marijuana use may disrupt this anti-tumor effect, which could be another explanation for the possible link between marijuana and increased risk of testicular cancer.

For the population-based, case-control study, Daling, Schwartz and colleagues interviewed 369 Seattle-Puget Sound-area men, ages 18 to 44, who had been diagnosed with testicular cancer about their history of marijuana use. For comparison purposes they also assessed marijuana use among 979 randomly selected age- and geography-matched healthy controls. (More than 90 percent of the cases and 80 percent of the controls in the study were Hispanic or non-Hispanic white men, due to the fact that testicular cancer is very rare in African-Americans, and because the Seattle-Puget Sound region has a relatively small African-American population.)

Study participants were also asked about other habits that may be correlated with marijuana use, including smoking and alcohol consumption. Even after statistically controlling for these lifestyle factors, as well as other risk factors, such as first-degree family history of testicular cancer and a history of undescended testes, marijuana use emerged as a significant, independent risk factor for testicular cancer.

The researchers emphasize that their results are not definitive, but rather open a door to more research questions.

"Our study is the first inkling that marijuana use may be associated with testicular cancer, and we still have a lot of unanswered questions," Schwartz said, such as why marijuana appears to be associated with only one type of testicular cancer. "We need to conduct additional research to see whether the association can be observed in other populations, and whether measurement of molecular markers connected to the pathways through which marijuana could influence testicular cancer development helps clarify any association that exists," he said.

In future studies the researchers plan to measure the expression of cannabinoid receptors in both seminomatous and nonseminomatous tumor tissue from the cases in the study, and to see whether variation in the genes for the receptors and other molecules involved in cannabinoid signaling influences the risk of testicular cancer.

In the meantime, Schwartz said, "What young men should know is that first, we know very little about the long-term health consequences of marijuana smoking, especially heavy marijuana smoking; and second, our study provides some evidence that testicular cancer could be one adverse consequence," he said. "So, in the absence of more certain information, a decision to smoke marijuana recreationally means that one is taking a chance on one's future health."

The National Cancer Institute, the National Institute on Drug Abuse and funds from the Hutchinson Center supported this research, which also involved researchers from the University of Washington, Vanderbilt University and Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation.

According to the National Cancer Institute, testicular cancer is very rare, accounting for only 1 percent of cancers in U.S. men. About 8,000 men are diagnosed with testicular cancer each year, and about 390 die of the disease annually. It is the most common form of cancer in men between the ages of 15 and 34 and is most common in white men, especially those of Scandinavian descent.

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, our interdisciplinary teams of world-renowned scientists and humanitarians work together to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, HIV/AIDS and other diseases. Our researchers, including three Nobel laureates, bring a relentless pursuit and passion for health, knowledge and hope to their work and to the world. For more information, please visit www.fhcrc.org.

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
1100 Fairview Ave. N. PO Box 19024 Seattle, WA 98109
©2010 Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Hypnosis has 'real' brain effect

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:35:11 +0100

Hypnosis has 'real' brain effect

Hypnosis has a "very real" effect that can be picked up on brain scans, say Hull University researchers.

An imaging study of hypnotised participants showed decreased activity in the parts of the brain linked with daydreaming or letting the mind wander.

The same brain patterns were absent in people who had the tests but who were not susceptible to being hypnotised.

One psychologist said the study backed the theory that hypnosis "primes" the brain to be open to suggestion.

Hypnosis is increasingly being used to help people stop smoking or lose weight and advisers recently recommended its use on the NHS to treat irritable bowel syndrome.

“ This shows that the changes were due to hypnosis and not just simple relaxation ”
Dr William McGeown, study leader

It is not the first time researchers have tried to use imaging studies to monitor brain activity in people under hypnosis.

But the Hull team said these had been done while people had been asked to carry out tasks, so it was not clear whether the changes in the brain were due to the act of doing the task or an effect of hypnosis.

In the latest study, the team first tested how people responded to hypnosis and selected 10 individuals who were "highly suggestible" and seven people who did not really respond to the technique other than becoming more relaxed.

The participants were asked to do a task under hypnosis, such as listening to non-existent music, but unknown to them the brain activity was being monitored in the rest periods in between tasks, the team reported in the journal Consciousness and Cognition.

Default mode

In the "highly suggestible" group there was decreased activity in the part of the brain involved in daydreaming or letting the mind wander - also known as the "default mode" network.

One suggestion of how hypnosis works, supported by the results, is that shutting off this activity leaves the brain free to concentrate on other tasks.

Study leader Dr William McGeown, a lecturer in the department of psychology, said the results were unequivocal because they only occurred in the highly suggestible subjects.

"This shows that the changes were due to hypnosis and not just simple relaxation. "Our study shows hypnosis is real."

Dr Michael Heap, a clinical forensic psychologist based in Sheffield, said the experiment was unique in showing brain patterns supporting the theory that hypnosis works by "priming" the subject to respond more effectively to suggestions.

"Importantly the data confirm that relaxation is not a critical factor.

"The limited data from this experiment suggest that this pattern of activity then dissipates (at least to some extent) once the subjects start to engage in the suggestions that follow."

But he said the small study, which needed repeating in other populations, did not prove that people being hypnotised were in an actual "trance".

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/8359170.stm

Published: 2009/11/16 00:19:32 GMT

© BBC MMX

Self-Hypnosis Seminar Takes Ottawa by storm!

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 16:34:18 +0100

Introducing a free intro seminar to self-hypnosis as well as a 2 day (3hrs a day) workshop (for $60) on self-hypnosis techniques to help you solve every day issues.

Visit our Self-Hypnosis page

Key cancer gene 'link to poverty'

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 20:08:02 +0100

There is a genetic explanation for why women from poor backgrounds are less likely to beat breast cancer, Dundee University researchers have said.

Poor lifestyles may trigger a key gene mutation linked to worse prognosis, the British Journal of Cancer reports.

The researchers tested samples from 246 women and found that a woman's postcode could be connected to the "health" of the p53 gene in her tumour cells.

Cancer charities said adopting a healthy lifestyle was advantageous.

Mayo Clinic - Hypnotism Gaining A Legitimate Role in Health Care Treatments

Sun, 14 Feb 2010 20:58:57 +0100

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Hypnotism has expanded its realm from magic shows to health care. As a potential component of care, hypnotism is gaining legitimacy for a number of conditions, particularly for ma...nagging pain, according to the April issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter...

http://www.mayoclinic.org

New Renaissance Hypnosis Store at Cafepress.Ca!

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 15:53:59 +0100

A new store has opened and there you can get the coolest Hypnosis related products including:

"Thanks to Hypnosis my mind is MORE POWERFUL than yours!" Promo line:

Click here for more!

The "I Quit with Hypnosis" Promo line:

Click here for more

The Renaissance Hypnosis Promo line:

Click here for more!

So check it out and come back often as we will constantly come up with new products and funny Hypnosis related quote for your pleasure!

Imagine having a Teddy bear who's shirt says "Thanks to hypnosis my mind is MORE POWERFUL than yours!" Can't wait to get mine!

Enjoy!

P.S. The site will soon be updated to include those changes and many that are coming, keep checking back or subscribe to our news feed and blog feed!

Season's Greetings!

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 05:46:00 +0100

The staff at RenaissanceHypnosis.Ca would love to wish you the best for the holidays! May the new year bring you all the best that life has to offer, to you and your loved ones!

Thank you for your continued support in 2009 and we look forward to further exchanges in the year 2010!

Dany Leblanc Ch, Nlp
Clinical Hypnotherapist

Decembre 3rd 2009 - Book Lauch update

Sat, 05 Dec 2009 19:25:07 +0100

The book I contributed to is soon to come out with a revised title:

HOW TO HYPNOTIZE FRIENDS

AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE

50 Top Hypnotists Program You in the Art and Science of Hypnosis in Love, Persuasion, Negotiation, Seduction,Hypnotic Marketing, and Shameless Bribery to Sway People to Let You Help Them Be More Effective, Joyful and Rich.

The date when it will be released is yet to be confirmed.
When the book comes out it will be available through the Renaissance Store! And it will be announced on these pages!

July 8th 2009 New look and feel!

Sat, 05 Dec 2009 19:17:21 +0100

New look and feel to the Mp3 downloads and store area!